Former Derby Alderman Gino DiGiovanni Jr. at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
DERBY – Gino DiGiovanni, Jr., a city Republican leader, was sentenced to 10 days in jail on Wednesday for his involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the Capitol building.
Officials from the federal Bureau of Prisons will determine when DiGiovanni has to report and to which prison.
DiGiovanni will also have 12 months of supervised release, 50 hours of community service, and has agreed to pay $500 restitution to the Architect of the U.S. Capitol.
U.S. Judge James E. Boasberg handed down the sentence April 24 in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C.
DiGiovanni previously pleaded guilty to a single charge of misdemeanor trespassing in January.
The Valley Indy left a message with DiGiovanni seeking comment.
DiGiovanni attended the ‘Stop the Steal’ rally in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 6. After watching President Donald Trump speak, DiGiovanni was part of a large group that trespassed onto the U.S. Capitol grounds, then entered the building as both houses of Congress were in session.
DiGiovanni told The Valley Indy in 2022 he was not part of the violent mob – that he was pushed by the wave of people into the building. He noted law enforcement were at the door and said they appeared to be allowing people in.
However, in a sentencing memorandum, prosecutors challenged DiGiovanni’s version of the story by pointing out there were shattered windows, tear gas, people screaming at police and other “obvious signs” that showed DiGiovanni knew he was in the middle of a riot.
Prosecutors also pointed out that while DiGiovanni wasn’t violent nor destructive, he nevertheless was part of a group of people that interrupted the peaceful transfer of power, a U.S. tradition.
“The Jan. 6 riot was a violent attack that threatened the lives of legislators and their staff, interrupted the certification of the 2020 Electoral College vote count, did irrevocable harm to our nation’s tradition of the peaceful transfer of power, caused more than $2.9 million in losses, and injured more than 100 police officers,” wrote U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves.
“Every rioter, whether or not they personally engaged in violence or personally threatened violence, contributed to this harm,” Graves wrote.
DiGiovanni was the Derby Republican Party’s nominee for mayor in November 2023. He is the chairman of the Derby Town Republican Committee and a member of the Derby Planning and Zoning Commission.
DiGiovanni was not an Alderman during the insurrection, but he was an appointed member of the city’s planning and zoning commission.
He was born and raised in Derby and coached football for more than 10 years. He’s also an Eagle Scout, and runs a construction company.
Federal prosecutors asked for 30 days in jail. DiGiovanni, through his lawyer, asked for no jail time.
